When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself. By Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. Chicago: Moody, 2009.

You are probably already well aware of this book. You've probably already read it. I know. I'm a late arrival, but better late than never. I recommend this thoughtful and practically helpful work for anyone engaging or preparing to engage in missions or outreach to poor communities. (That should include all of us!) I have just 3 brief comments.

First, this is much needed counsel! Too often we in the West, from good intention, think to help or solve the problems of the less fortunate by simply throwing money at the situation or imposing our Western culture upon another. It's also far less messy for us too! Build the church in the slum and then go home. Send money occasionally and never really reach a longterm solution. As a result, our poor neighbors only become dependent and develop a mindset that their answer lies in our wallets. Of course, alongside their mindset is our mindset that we are indeed their answer. In the end, we are hurting, not helping, them and ourselves! When we reach out to poor communities, when we engage in missions in third world context, we need to come alongside our neighbors and assist them in supporting themselves to develop independence. The longterm benefit and gain are well worth the extra time and effort required.

Second, Corbett and Fikkert have packed this volume with wise insight and helpful strategies. They have not only diagnosed the problem and offered a solution, they have also suggested ways and given examples of how to do this. Their experience and expertise in this area is invaluable. Make a longterm strategy, work alongside your neighbor, involve them in the process, give them responsibility, and set as the end goal their independence. It does work if done right.

Third, I would issue two cautions for the reader. These are not critiques of the writers or the volume. These are cautions for the reader as he reads this volume. First, our calling as believers is not alleviation of poverty. To be sure, loving our neighbors as ourselves will include reaching out, sacrificing, giving, and helping. But God has not called us to end worldwide poverty. He has called us to spread the Gospel. Sometimes working to alleviate poverty comes alongside that calling, but it is never to replace it. I only issue this caution because poverty alleviation is the bulk of the book. That can be misleading for the reader. Aiding the poor is a means to open doors for the gospel; it is not an end in and of itself. Second, I would caution the reader to not dismiss any and all occasions of giving your money to the poor! One might come away from this book with that conclusion, and that would be hurtful as well, both to the poor and to you! Not helping can hurt too. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan? Also 1 John 3:17 says, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" It would be so easy for us to conclude by reading this book that we should not offer temporary help the next time we are around the poor because we don't won't to hurt them or make them dependent. That would be a travesty, especially if you happen to be the hungry guy on the side of the street! I would suggest we can combine the two. Keep offering help and giving our money with wisdom, but only as temporary assistance in conjunction with developing a relationship and a strategy of helping our neighbor to provide for his family in this world.

There is one area of the book that seemed to be both a strength and a weakness. The authors did a great job of explaining how poverty reaches all relationships in our lives due to sin, so material poverty is not the only issue. All aspects of our poverty should be addressed. I was expecting then to find the four areas of poverty identified discussed throughout the book. However, the authors virtually left the three behind and focused on the material. That being noted, the wisdom found in this area is worth the read.